


the other right

by SOMNlARl



Series: Twitter Prompts [1]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Idiots with Crushes, M/M, cullen do you even own a jacket, i meant this as a drabble and it got away from me, shared! body! heat! is! my! jam!, they're disasters and they need each other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-19
Updated: 2017-11-19
Packaged: 2019-02-04 09:07:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12767667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SOMNlARl/pseuds/SOMNlARl
Summary: sometimes all you need to get past a misunderstanding is a 4am blizzard, two boys and one blanket between them.





	the other right

**Author's Note:**

  * For [roguemutual](https://archiveofourown.org/users/roguemutual/gifts).



Lavellan wakes up with a start to a sudden, high-pitched wail, sits straight up in bed, his heart pounding high and fast in his chest.

He looks around blearily as the shrieking keeps up, trying to place the source. It’s only when an obnoxiously bright light starts flashing that his brain manages to put two and two together. _Fire alarm. Fuck, uhhhhhhhhh. Loud. Oh god what do I do…_

There’s a pounding on his door competing with the alarm then their Qunari RA’s voice bellowing. “Lav, outside. Now! Let’s go!”

_Right_. He casts around with his foot until it nudges the sports bra he’d left lying on the floor, snatches it up and pulls it on over his tank top then stumbles into a ratty pair of sweats and soccer team jacket. On his way out the door he stops, grabs the comforter off his bed and wraps it around his shoulders, knowing how ridiculous it probably looks dragging behind him like a cape. But it had been snowing with no signs of stopping anytime soon when he’d given up on the last 200 words of his essay and while he’d love an excuse to never have to read Genitivi again the idea of dying an elfsicle doesn’t really sound any more appealing. Embarrassing himself in front of any of his dorm mates awake enough to take notice it was then.

He’s one of the last out of the dorm and steps out into the parking lot full of students milling around in various stages of consciousness and undress. He nearly trips on the dragging edge of his comforter, flushes hot with annoyance at the few scattered giggles. Bull’s yelling at them all to keep moving into the outer lot so he pretends he didn’t hear and keeps walking.

He’s scrolling absentmindedly through his phone when he hears the scuffle of footsteps crunching on snow and a poorly muffled yawn. The wind picks up and sends his hair flying into his face, he secures it into a messy pile on top of his head but lets it fall back with an aggrieved sigh when he finds no waiting elastic around his wrist.

“Have they said how long we’ll be out here?”

Lavellan shrugs and shoves his phone in his pocket. “Dunno. Think the fire department has to come out first before they let us back in.”

“ _Oh._ ” It’s the smallest, most forlorn-sounding _oh_ he’s ever heard. Something about the voice is familiar. He flicks his gaze up to the source.

It’s a testament to how cold it is is, how _exhausted_ he is that Lavellan accepts Cullen’s appearance next to him with nothing more than a sharp twist of shame followed by resigned acceptance. They lived in the same building, of course they’d run into each other eventually. His embarrassingly one-sided crush since the end of last semester had finally dissipated into little more than half-remembered conversations after biology class that went nowhere, a right-swipe on Thedr that was never returned and a few fuzzy, late-night drinking sessions with Krem, sad noises over shitty beer.

“ _Maybe he just doesn’t really like dudes”. Krem snorts, cracks open another bottle. “Don’t think that’s the problem, mate.”“Oh so it’s just me, thanks.” He studies Krem through the dark-tinted glass, chugs the last few sips. “Hate this dwarf shit.” Krem shrugs, pats his shoulder awkwardly. “Doubt it’s you, could just be shy.”_

Cullen rubs his hands up and down his upper arms quickly, curls his shoulders forward. He coughs a little into the crook of his elbow. “Sorry. Air’s cold.”

“Did you forget what winter is?”

“Huh?” Cullen blinks a few times, shivers under his thin white t-shirt and flannel pants.

“Cullen. Blizzard. What. The. Fuck.” Lavellan rolls his eyes and hunches over as the wind picks up. He pulls the blanket tighter around his shoulders. He gestures vaguely in Cullen’s direction, the movement laced with tired annoyance. “You’re wearing _flip flops_.”

The tips of Cullen’s ears go bright red as he develops a sudden, keen interest in the ground and scuffs his toes in the snow. “Oh, like _you_ do _your_ best thinking at 4am.”

Cullen blows a few puffs of breath on his fingertips and shoves his hands into his armpits. He’s still shivering. “Besides, it’s not that bad. Feels like the storm’s dying down.”

“There’s snow in your hair.” As if to punctuate his point a large clump of sodden flakes tumble from Cullen’s sleep-rumpled hair onto the tip of his nose. Lavellan barely chokes back a laugh, his shoulders shake a little with the force of trying to stifle it. Cullen shakes his head a few times to remove the rest of the offending snow and in that half-frozen, sleep-deprived moment he looks so much like an irritated, wet dog that Lavellan can’t hold it in anymore, the laughter bubbles out of him until he’s doubled over and his stomach aches. He drops slowly to the ground, sitting back on his heels. He can’t stop laughing.

His eyes tear up as Cullen scowls and turns away, arms crossed over his chest like a petulant child. “S’not funny.” He doesn’t miss the furtive, longing glances Cullen keeps sneaking at his huddled mess of blanket. “Look, I… _ugh_. I’m an idiot and I meant the other right. Just saying. ‘M sorry.”

“C’mere, idiot,” Lavellan manages between stifled bursts of what has built into nearly hysterical laughter. He holds out the edge of his blanket with one arm, other hand patting the space beside him to indicate that Cullen should sit. Cullen glares at him but a few seconds later he’s folding himself into the offered nook. Lavellan bites the inside of his cheek, waiting for the awkwardness to set in. It doesn’t.

“Thanks,” Cullen mumbles. He yawns and lets his head fall forward as he leans in closer, his cheek nearly resting against Lavellan’s shoulder. His hair brushes the side of Lavellan’s jaw and the elf smiles at the tickling sensation, shifting closer to close the gap between them.

“This is… uhh… This is. Really nice.” Cullen swallows the end of a nervous laugh. He doesn’t pull away. He’s not shivering anymore.

He doesn’t have to look over to know that Cullen’s cheeks are pink with more than cold, that he’s smiling. Lavellan is too and he doesn’t ever want to stop, even when his cheeks threaten to crack with cold. _Yeah. Nice. It really is_. He may be stuck outside in a snowstorm with no end in sight and night close to loosening its grip on the sky but suddenly, with Cullen there, he feels so goddamn warm.

**Author's Note:**

> damon sent me one of my favorite prompts off of my winter fluff idea list so naturally i shrieked and had to start writing it immediately. _cullen/male lavellan - hey the fire alarm in our dorm went off at 3am and you ran outside without a coat wanna share my blanket? !!_ hope you enjoyed, friendo!
> 
> if you enjoyed this you can find me at [hiissingwastes on tumblr](http://hiissingwastes.tumblr.com) or [aItuspavus on twitter](http://twitter.com/aItuspavus)!


End file.
